Photography 101, Day 6: Connect

Today’s assignment is: Connect. We’re supposed to take a picture to interpret that theme, and then practice tagging the photo effectively.

I spent the morning grumbling to myself about how in the world I was going to photograph connect. And, as I was walking down my upstairs hallway (fighting with an overflowing basket of laundry), the answer stared me right in the eyeballs . . .

Quilts.

As a student (and former teacher) of history, I feel it’s important to connect with the past. And one of the ways I connect with my family’s past through is through textiles. I have six heirloom quilts displayed on a rack at the end of my hallway, each one of them made women in my family, or my husband’s family. I’ve always been fascinated by quilts, and the stories they tell of family and community. They’re patchwork history!

There was no technical assignment for today’s theme, so I decided to experiment with my 105mm macro (close-up) lens.

My great-grandmother made this quilt out of old clothing scraps. When I was little, I’d wrap myself in it and imagine what each of the squares used to be — a skirt? a handkerchief? a blouse? a kitchen rag? I’ve long since retired this quilt to “display purposes only”. I’m afraid to wash it — it’s so faded and worn, and looks like it’s just barely holding together. Imagine my surprise when I looked through my macro lens and saw . . . the thread that connects all those patches endures.